Radiance of Life
by SA17
Summary: *Edited for easier reading* Whenever two hearts meet, nothing else matters. But when the hardships of reality shatter the dreams of life and love, what will it take to recover from such a trauma? LuzzuXGatta story. OPEN minds need apply! Please review.
1. ONE

**ONE**

It must have been that very morning when I first opened my eyes that I realized that my life would never be the same again. Lying on my back on that cot, I think I knew that I could never go back to being just me, just another normal man living out his dreams as a Crusader.

I never thought about all of the people I would meet or all of the lives that I would change. I just thought about that one person that I hadn't met yet. That one individual that would change my life and my outlook forever.

"…captain…"

But I never knew that our stories would be so complicated…

* * *

As he opened his eyes with the light of the early morning sun, he quickly yawned and stretched in his comfortable position on the cot and sighed, scratching his bare muscular chest as he sat up to look around the lodge. Some of his fellow soldiers were still asleep while others were gone, more than likely taking their shift on scouting the roads of Luca.

Taking his hands to his eyes, he wiped the remainder of sleep from them and stepped out of bed, stretching his muscled arms above his head before finally bending over to swipe his lime green tunic and breastplate from the floor beside his cot.

Placing the piece of armor over his chest first, his hand reached behind him and snapped the straps together, tightening them securely to his frame. Then the tunic went over his head and covered his torso, the cotton material feeling soft against his weathered skin.

Walking to the foot of the cot, he observed an old, dirty white duffel bag lying on the floor, packed with his few personal belongings. On top was a crinkled piece of paper with rushed writing pinned to the bag.

The man's handsome features cracked into a smile and he took the note off and put it into a pocket in his canvas material pants.

Slipping on a pair of old leather boots, he made his way toward the entryway of the lodge, the thump of the steel-toed boots the only noise inside his otherwise quiet surroundings.

He stopped just at the doorway and turned to look at the soldiers lying in their cots snoring softly. Nodding his head slowly in prayer, he finally turned back around and stepped outside.

"Good morning, Captain," one of the sentries, a young woman with dark-brown skin and even darker hair said, "Currently, ten of our people are doing a clearing of any and all fiends that may have entered the city over night. The streets should be cleaned up before the morning rush begins."

"Good," the man said and brushed a hand through his red-spiked hair, "and Ivan, how is he?"

"Oh…um, better, sir. Considering that he was attacked by such a horde of fiends makes me pray to Yevon everyday that he is doing all right," the woman responded.

"That's even better. I don't want to lose anyone on my watch."

"Yes, sir. I understand, sir," the woman replied.

"Thank you for your time. As you were," the man said and began to walk away.

"Captain Luzzu?" the woman called out rather suddenly, forcing the red-haired man to stop in his tracks, "Is…this not the day that you leave us…that you leave Luca for Besaid?"

Luzzu turned and smiled, his arms crossed over his chest. "Yes it is," he responded rather quickly, "I kind of hoped that you wouldn't bring it up, but…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir…" the woman said.

"No…it's not your fault," Luzzu replied, "It's just that…I guess I didn't want to accept it

until right when I left. But I guess I have to face it sometime, huh?"

"Captain, why can't they just find someone else to replace the fallen commander in Besaid? You're already needed here. You've done such a wonderful job and…well, I…I, um…" but before the woman could finish, Luzzu shook his head and chuckled.

"You of all people should know by now that I'm…"

"Yes, I know, sir. I…know that I never had a chance, but…well, that doesn't mean that my feelings have gone away."

"Yes…I know. All the more reason it will be best if I leave for Besaid. Maybe there, I can do even more than I've accomplished here."

The woman nodded and gave Luzzu the widely known Crusader salute. He responded in similar fashion and walked away, the bag slung over his shoulder.

* * *

When the time came for me to leave, I didn't want to go yet I realized that it was the best thing for me to do. I was feeling rather restless in Luca. It was as if there was nothing more I could do in the already well-guarded city and my presence there was more or less used as an excuse for my fellow soldiers to keep me around. But I knew that it was time for me to move on.

Being in Luca for so long, I had forgotten what it was like to live a life knowing that Sin may attack at any given moment.

I had to get out of there. I had to travel someplace where that feeling existed so that I could do everything in my power to eliminate it.

Besaid was that place.

* * *

"Honorable Crusader, we will be arriving in Besaid shortly. Please prepare yourself for any disturbances that may occur on account of Sin and its spawn. The demon has been known to attack ships here frequently."

Luzzu nodded at the young seaman as he gave him a swift bow and walked off toward the lower deck's entryway. Luzzu turned around and sighed, staring off into the distance at the fluffy white clouds that streamed across the blue horizon lazily.

With the sun out and the sounds of gulls cawing and waves crashing the only disturbances, Luzzu did not want to believe that Sin could just come and destroy such a serene moment.

For a moment, however, he thought he saw a dark figure under the water swimming unbelievably fast across the front of the ship. He was relieved to find that it was nothing more than a mass of dolphins jetting across the waters.

Luzzu sighed and turned away from the waters, his eyes closed just thinking about what could happen at any moment. But then, sighing with resignation, he opened his eyes and chuckled, knowing that whatever happened, happened.

"SIN!!"

Luzzu gasped and looked up to find a huge fin protruding from the surface of the waters, slicing through the sea froth like a blade through flesh.

"Crusader!" the young soldier cried, "Please aid us in protecting the passengers!!" The young man threw a steel-pointed spear in the man's direction.

Luzzu nodded quickly just as he caught the weapon and began running to where he heard the most screaming. As he approached the area, he found a woman crouching over two others, apparently children, as four fierce Sinscales slashed relentlessly at her back.

The woman screamed in horrified pain as her children cried for her to move out of the way.

"I'm coming!" Luzzu cried and in one quick move threw up his spear into the underside of one of the attacking Sinscales, ripping it almost in half, causing it's blackened entrails to spill onto the deck floor in a puddle of crimson blood.

Their attention drawn, the other three Sinscales began to attack Luzzu, but the man was a world faster than either monster and in two smooth movements cut the three of them in half, their lower halves falling limply to the deck floor as their bloodied torsos flung to another region of the deck.

"Mother!"

Luzzu turned and realized that the woman had fallen to the floor, face first. It became painfully aware to him that her back was torn apart. The bloodied and tattered material that was once her pale blue tunic now hung off her back, generously dyed in the dark red fluid.

"Mother, please…please wake up!" the little girl cried, shaking her mother desperately.

Luzzu noticed the other child, a boy a bit older than the young girl, shaking uncontrollably with sobs. He immediately looked into Luzzu's stare.

"Take your sister and get below deck, now!" Luzzu commanded.

The boy looked at his savior and nodded quickly, knowing almost immediately THIS man was a Crusader. Taking his sister's hand despite her desperate pleas to get their mother as well he led the way, running to the nearest entrance to safety below.

"No, please!!"

Luzzu turned to face the sea and noticed that the gigantic fin had distanced itself from the ship but he could still hear the eerie cries of the dead, the trademark roar of Sin as if it were still close by.

"AAAH!!" the soldier cried but just as soon as Luzzu could make his way toward the other side, the ship rattled with a frighteningly huge jolt, causing the Crusader to fall to the floor beside the dead woman whose children she had sacrificed her life for.

And then there was the screaming of men as a wave of ripping noises echoed from the other end of the ship. A loud roar indicated what must have been and then a loud thud that rocked the entire ferryboat ended the chaos as the ship returned to a more stable condition.

Luzzu sat up and ran to the other side of the deck to find the twitching body of a minimum sized Sinspawn on the deck floor surrounded by the bloodied and torn bodies of fallen soldiers including the young seaman that had loaned him the spear only moments earlier.

The young man's face and broad chest were slashed beyond recognition, causing Luzzu to shut his eyes in an attempt to block the gruesome image out. Turning his head away and reopening his eyes, he saw that only two out of the ten men that were guarding the ship had survived but not without serious injury. The rest had either fallen overboard or were now staring at the heavens or the earth, lying in their own respective pool of crimson essence.

One of the surviving men held his profusely bleeding left arm, or what was left of it, sobbing as he stared at another man who was not so lucky, lying face down, a pool of blood forming from underneath him.

The other survivor was on the floor propped against the railing of the ship's deck, his right leg missing and a gaping hole in his abdomen. The pale complexion on his youthful features indicated that his life, too, would soon be extinguished.

The captain's first mate ran out from the doorway of the bridge and gasped, stopping in his tracks as he saw the carnage left by Sin.

"Captain…we've got three out here that have survived."

"Out of eleven? My gods…" Luzzu heard the captain say.

The young man looked at Luzzu who was leaning against the wooden plank wall of the outside of the bridge. "Sir…are there no more survivors amongst you brave warriors?"

Luzzu only looked out to the approaching isle of Besaid. "The ship's passengers are safe…that's all that matters now."

* * *

It was about two or three months since I had last encountered Sin. Even when I did encounter that monster during the Djose coastal defense patrol all of those months earlier, it wasn't half as bad as what I experienced that morning on the ferry ride from Kilika...or what I would experience in the years to come.

That day, in particular, was probably a wake up call for me.

I had gotten used to the peace. I had become set in the naïve belief that nothing was going to happen during my trip to Besaid and that everyone would be safe…

I never allowed myself to think so foolishly ever again…or at least I tried.


	2. TWO

**TWO**

Luzzu stepped off of the deck and onto the hot sands of the Besaid beach. He had changed clothing, his others having been totally drenched in the blood of the Sinscales that he had massacred.

Now the red-haired man stood in the outfit he would be most recognized in: brown shoulder guards, black, green, and orange sleeve-like cloths hanging around his forearms, and baggy purple pants with a yellow "X" pattern embroidered on either pant leg to complete the look.

No longer in the old leather boots, his toes were now exposed to the grains of the sand and the heat of the sun in brown sandals. He had also removed his shirt, bearing most of his torso to the tropical weather with only his abs and nipples hidden behind the now distinctive armor plating.

"Father!" a familiar young voice sobbed and Luzzu watched as the young girl ran past him into the arms of a tanned, muscled man in what appeared to be Crusader issue armor.

"Jina…" the man said, his relief apparent in his voice as he scooped up the girl into his arms, "Praise be to Yevon that you are all right…"

Luzzu sighed and began to walk away but noticed a hand grasping his left one. He turned and looked down at the boy that he had ordered to go below earlier.

"Thank you, mister…" the youth said and instantly let go of Luzzu's hand and did the sacred prayer of the Yevon religion before running to join his sister and father in their reunion.

Luzzu nodded and began to walk again.

* * *

"I've got it!" the teen called as he watched the blue and white blitzball cease its ascent in the air. He ran under it and, anticipating its exact descent point, jumped into the air and…

"GATTA!!" another teenager with red hair screamed.

The dark-skinned teen's attention instantly shifted from the ball and onto the other teen calling his name from the ground…and he watched as the ball smacked him in the face, sending his graceful reception of the ball into a total chaotic mess.

The redheaded teen watched Gatta fall to the ground on his behind that sent up a cloud of dust, emitting an uncontrollable burst of laughter that sent Chappu falling to the ground himself.

Gatta, however, was not amused and stood up quickly, his serious expression back on his face as he tried hard not to be affected by his "best friend", Chappu's, laughter.

"That wasn't very fair, you know." Gatta complained as he kicked the blitzball in Chappu's direction, hoping, praying that the ball might strike the teen in the head. But no such luck.

Chappu, still laughing, replied, "Y-you should'a seen your face! I-it was priceless, brudda!" Chappu said in his heavy Besaid accent.

"I could have had that shot if it weren't for you, Chappu." Gatta replied, still very upset but not willing to express it fully.

Chappu sighed, taking the blitzball under his arm before standing up again, "Aw, excuses, excuses, man! If you're ever gonna blitz with the best, you gotta know how to focus! How do you think you're gonna get anywhere on the team if you don't pay attention to the ball, ya?"

"I don't think something like that could've happened during a tournament," Gatta replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hey, you never know, man. All that there IS to know though is the game." Chappu lifted the ball into his right hand and tossed it high into the air before catching it with his left. He smiled, his perfect row of white teeth showing amidst a boyish tanned face. A couple of red locks of hair fell in front of his face and he used a free hand to tuck them back behind his bandanna.

"No," Gatta replied turning around, "That's not all there is…and you and I both know it."

"Huh?" Chappu questioned. He placed a hand on his hip and began to follow Gatta out of the small clearing that they were practicing in, "Whaddya mean?"

"Well…you know that your brother Wakka's toying with the idea of becoming a guardian, right?"

"Yah?"

"Well, its just got me thinking lately…all we ever do is play blitzball. Now I love it and all but I think I'm ready for something…more."

"Huh? More than blitzball? Like what?"

Gatta pushed back a flexible branch from a nearby bush and let it go just in time to watch it smack Chappu in the face. Gatta chuckled.

"Hey!" Chappu pushed the branch back to face Gatta once again, "Like what, ya?"

"I think…I want to become a Crusader."

Chappu looked at Gatta for a moment before turning his back on his friend. He sighed and placed the ball on his head, his hands on top of the ball.

Gatta's face held puzzlement and he wondered why the sudden silence from Chappu. "Uh, what's wrong?"

Chappu closed his eyes, his brow furrowed in slight worry. He spoke softly.

"You know…my parents died because of Sin…just like your father, ya? And they were just mindin' their own business in the village, ya?! Then Sin…he comes and takes it all away from us…Bein' in the Crusaders, fighting Sin…that just makes your chance of dying even greater!"

Gatta sighed but nodded. Yeah, he remembered. Remembered how big and strong he thought his father was. Thought that the old man could survive anything…until he was sitting on the sands of the Besaid shores at only ten years old, sobbing as he watched a nameless summoner perform the sending for him and about twenty others who had died that day when the wave of Sin's flare decimated the village and many of its people.

"I know…but I'm not gonna let that stop me. A good portion of my family's been in the Crusaders. And even though many of them died…some went on to become commanders, generals, even apart of the personal guard for Yevon's Maesters. It's something…that I've been looking forward to for sometime now…but I haven't had the guts until only recently…"

"When Captain Ralfnor died, huh?"

"Yeah. He was…a good man. I really wish I could have gotten to know him better. I…was planning on joining the Crusaders when he was still alive but…"

"But you choked, ya? I guess things like that shouldn't wait, ya? I knew how much you…"

"All right, Chappu. Let's…not get into that, right now. My feelings aren't really important right now. What I DO want to know though is what do you think?"

Chappu sighed, turning back around and walking in front of Gatta, the ball still being held on his head by his hands. "What do you want me to think?"

Gatta huffed.

"Don't be stupid, Chappu. This is serious! I need your honest opinion."

"Well…in my opinion, I really don't think you should. I mean, being a blitzer is so much safer, ya? And at the same time you get to have fun."

"If you haven't noticed, Chappu, life isn't always about fun and games. Sin will always be a threat whether you face it or not."

"I wasn't finished yet…I was gonna say that I feel the need to be a blitzer…if not to win any games, then to just make the people of Spira happy, ya? It's so cool ta' see all those people's faces when they're cheering for their favorite team! I like knowing that I'm a part of that."

"I think…I understand." Gatta replied, "But I still think being a Crusader is more useful."

"Heh, I don't know about you, brudda, but I got a lot to lose right now…the game, my bro…Lulu."

Gatta smiled at the mention of the woman's name and crept up behind Chappu, nudging him playfully in the side with his elbow.

"Here it comes! The big softie's gonna let it all go! Tell me again how many ways you love Lulu?"

"Oh! Bro, I couldn't count the ways even if I wanted to, ya? I'd grow old and die before I finished!" With that comment, Chappu laughed and let the ball set back under his right arm, "Praise be to Yevon that I snagged her when I did. I never thought I'd…"

But as Chappu left, still going on about how he adored Lulu, Gatta chuckled and shook his head, wondering how long the big dope would keep walking, talking to himself about Lulu this time around. His current record was a full ten minutes.

Guess that's what happens when a guy's in love, Gatta thought and was preparing to go after Chappu's trailing voice instead until he spotted an unfamiliar man walking uphill past some of the old ruins of Besaid cities past.

The man had an old duffle bag slung across his right shoulder and was walking slowly as if he were lost or had no idea where he was going.

Gatta, being the helpful person that he was, decided to walk over and introduce himself and offer his help.

Little did he know that it would be the beginning of the greatest—and final—years of his life…


	3. THREE

**THREE**

When I first met Gatta, I was quite taken by his appearance. He had walked up to me in pieces of armor that I had almost mistaken for Crusader issue and a stern yet welcoming expression on his chocolate-colored face, hidden slightly behind shoulder length, deep brown hair.

One of the first small details I noticed about him were his eyes: two big, dark orbs holding the anguish of death and the passion of life, mixed with one another to create a burning desire that I found nearly impossible to turn away from.

I had never seen such a serious young man in all of my life. Even those youthful Crusaders that I had commanded in Luca, though excellent soldiers, still had a thing or two to learn in terms of discipline.

Gatta, however, had an aura of confidence about him, but not overly so. I would even go as far as saying that he held a distinct strictness about him, even to his best friend Chappu and to me, his future captain, his friend…his partner.

And I remember…he walked right in front of me. But it was in no way threatening because as soon as he stopped and I returned his gaze, he gave me a solid handshake, something else that I did not anticipate from someone who I thought would have been more inclined in the ways of Yevon.

After that simple, wordless action…I remember having respect for him almost instantly.

* * *

Luzzu and Gatta parted their hands from one another's and continued to look at each other for a moment longer.

"Hello, traveler. Where do you hail from?"

"The northern city of Luca. I just came in from the ferry about thirty minutes ago."

"Oh. From Luca you say?" Gatta's expression hardened slightly more, "Are you the new Crusader that was stationed here to replace Captain Ralfnor?" he inquired rather bluntly.

"Yes, I am. My name is Luzzu…and yours?"

"Gatta."

"Are you native to this land, Gatta?"

"Born and raised. As a matter of fact, I saw you walking here rather slowly so I just assumed that you might want a little direction." Gatta replied.

Luzzu smiled, "Thanks. I didn't think I would ever find my way around. Much of the ferry's crew is far too busy tending to the families that lost loved ones on the trip…"

"What?" Gatta interrupted, "What do you mean 'lost loved ones'? What happened?"

"Sin happened. It was just passing by…but our presence was enough for its Sinscales to react and for a low-level Sinspawn to smuggle itself on board. All of the soldiers fought bravely but only me and one other made it out alive. A soldier who survived the attack didn't make it..."

"No…" Gatta whispered, his expression transformed into sudden, fierce anger, "What about the passengers? The civilians?"

"Only one casualty amongst them. A mother of two…sacrificed her life for that of her children."

"Good gods…well, it's good to see that at least some have survived. It would be a shame if you did not arrive safely to Besaid, sir."

Luzzu looked rather oddly at Gatta for a moment. " 'Sir'? Are you a part of the Crusaders?"

Gatta suddenly looked up at Luzzu. His expression had changed from hardened anger into slight confusion as he did not realize what Luzzu meant at first. Then he understood and chuckled, placing a hand on the back of his head.

"Oh, no!" he said quickly, "I'm sorry. I guess that was just out of habit… My friends say I tend to get pretty militant when the going gets tough. And…I also used to refer to my father and Captain Ralfnor as 'sir' when I addressed them, that is, well before..."

Luzzu understood and nodded. "Well, I don't like formality from others unless they're under my command. So…try to call me Luzzu for a bit and see how that works, okay?"

Gatta's embarrassed look turned into a kind of agreeable expression and a slight smile indicated he would try.

"So, about showing me around…?"

"Oh, yes. Now…"

"GATTA!!"

Gatta turned quickly and noticed Chappu standing at the edge of the cliff above them, his face contorted in anger.

"What the hell's the big idea for letting me walk off like that, talking to myself, ya?? Why do you do always do that to me?? And who the hell's that?"

Gatta only laughed, slapping his knee as he bent over.

Luzzu did not understand, but seeing Gatta laugh like that stirred something within him that caused him to chuckle slightly before he caught a glimpse of the increasingly angry teenager above him toting a mean looking blitzball in his left hand and immediately silenced himself.

"Chappu! I think that was a new record! I've been talking to the newest Crusader for at least twelve minutes now!"

* * *

That morning, despite the attack, was probably one of the mornings in which I had genuinely felt welcome. It was as if Gatta was the all-encompassing welcome wagon and, although a bit more uptight than the rest of the natives, he knew exactly what he was talking about as he showed me around.

As we passed under the arching design of the ruins on the path to the village, I watched him more so than listened to him explaining to me the history of Besaid's people, what was like, disliked, tolerated.

I could remember the pride I saw in those passionate eyes of his as he talked of himself and his people, his friends, and what was the legacy of his family.

I even remember him warning me not to flaunt off the fact that I didn't fully believe in the teachings…

* * *

Luzzu stopped in his tracks beside a distinctively tall patch of green grass complete with beautiful red and purple wildflowers. "Well, where in Spira would you get an idea like that?" he asked as he looked at Gatta who had stopped soon after in front of him.

"Well…I know a lot of devout Yevonites and you're definitely not one of them. You shook my hand instead of doing the prayer."

Luzzu chuckled. "Well, I _suppose_ I could get into trouble for such an omission..."

Gatta crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, it's not like I'm a true believer either. Hell, I hardly ever pray to the monument outside of the village."

"That's not something you should brag about," Chappu said as he walked past the two men, "That's gotta be some really bad mojo, ya?"

"Hmph! Like you do it every time, Chappu?"

"Uh, well…" and Chappu shook his head, frowning. "That's not the point, bro! You gotta understand that if my brother…"

"Your brother can be boar-headed sometimes, Chappu."

At that comment Chappu laughed and nodded in agreement, shifting the blitzball from left underarm to his right.

"Yeah, you know it, brudda! And stubborn as hell to boot!"

Luzzu noticed Gatta's short glance at him before he turned to face Chappu again. "In any case," he began again, "Let's get going. I want to make sure the captain here gets to the lodge so he can start organizing things."

"Right…" Chappu said and off he went, ahead of the other two. "I'll go tell the other villagers to gather 'round, ya?" he called, "They're gonna want ta meet ya', Luzzu!"

Luzzu smiled as he watched the teen run off.

"He seems like a good friend."

"Yeah, the best. He's no better than me when it comes to worshipping Yevon. We play it off all the time, making it look like some big joke. But at the same time we've got to be careful."

Luzzu nodded, noticing that Gatta's expression was no longer as hard as it was when they first met. It seemed as if the teen was warming up to him already.

"Well, shall we get going? You still have to meet the villagers."

"All right." Luzzu said and adjusted the bag on his shoulders and began to follow once again down the gravel road toward the distant village below.

"So how long have you been a Crusader, s—Luzzu?"

"Hmm…I'm twenty-six now…12 years about a couple of months ago."

"Ten?" Gatta exclaimed, "Wow, you've probably seen a lot, haven't you? I could never imagine…"

"You…don't want to imagine. Trust me. I've seen many things that people never want to experience…ever."

"Oh…so…you were fourteen, huh? That's kind of young to be joining the Crusaders. Didn't your parents have a say in anything?"

"By that time I didn't have any parents…" Luzzu responded quietly.

"Oh…" Gatta repeated for a second time. He cursed himself for being so insensitive, asking so many blatantly foolish questions of a man who was obviously battle weary and grief-ridden from all of his years in service.

Luzzu noticed the sudden ceasing of the wave of questioning from Gatta and looked up to find the teen frowning. Luzzu only laughed.

"My goodness. You are one very serious young man."

"Huh?"

"Quick to a fault, especially when it's your own."

"I'm sorry. I was insensitive. I have no business asking you so many personal questions," Gatta replied quickly.

"Don't worry about it, Gatta." Luzzu replied and took his free hand through his spiked hair, wiping a light glaze of sweat away from his scalp, "Though the memories are still there…better to talk about it than to keep it pent up inside, eh?"

Gatta noticed the older man was smiling at him as he looked ahead toward the village once again. It was something about that smile that Gatta could appreciate and respect at the same time. This man was unlike Ralfnor: he had a way about him that commanded respect, yes, but it wasn't forceful or demanding.

This man was calm, collected, and seemingly carefree all of the time, traits that neither his father nor Ralfnor shared, and traits that both irritated and intrigued Gatta all at once.

"I guess you're right." Gatta finished as he and the Crusader stopped at the stonewall entrance of the village.

The crowd of people in the distance soon turned and noticed that the man of the hour had arrived and eagerly approached him to greet him and give him their good graces, much to the discomfort of Luzzu who saw Gatta walking away, turning his head around to face him one more time before joining Chappu who already begun walking toward the Besaid temple.

* * *

That day and that evening went by pretty fast after my initial meeting with Gatta. He was one of the few people that I had originally written off as just another villager, a kid that I would not see anymore as he would soon be old enough to go out on his own and start his own life somewhere far away from this little island.

Despite his passionate description of his homeland, I thought I had his number. I thought he was just another one of the countless other men from the Southern Isles who had, over the generations, left their simple roots to places like St. Bevelle and Luca to become merchants, raking up their own personal fortunes and never returning to the places that they had once called home.

I thought that I would never see him again and though I did not consider it a big loss, I was kind of disappointed. Not because I thought he had what it took to become a Crusader or anything.

No. It was on a more personal level.

I was disappointed…because I thought I would never see those burning eyes ever again.

* * *

Luzzu stood at the doorway of the light blue Crusaders' lodge and saluted the male sentry before entering.

"Rest well, sir."

"Don't you worry, I will."

The men chuckled and Luzzu passed beyond the number of cloths that served as a doorway for the lodge. Inside, most of the soldiers were either asleep or talking quietly by candlelight in their respective cots, some seeming to discuss the events of the day and early evening, others seeming to speak of more interesting things.

Not that the day itself was not interesting. As soon as Luzzu placed his belongings in front of his designated cot, he almost immediately began to organize the Crusaders, giving sharp but respectful commands for various missions such as scouting the island for wily fiends, guarding the village, and helping the ferryboat crew unload the remaining bodies of the dead, help them wrap them in ceremonial "sea coffins", and finally help with the cleanup of the ship's deck.

Before the day was over, Luzzu had made it his personal mission to greet the husband, also a Crusader, and children of the woman who he felt guilty for not being able to save.

As Luzzu slowly entered the tent-like hut, the two children almost instantly recognized the red-haired Crusader and exclaimed to their father that that was the man that killed the Sinscales.

And before Luzzu could react to what was going on, the father's brawny arms were around his frame, embracing him tightly with the man saying "Thank you! Bless you!" over and over again until Luzzu had to gently push the giant away from him.

The Crusader had tried to apologize for not being there sooner, but the father's response silenced him.

"The fact is that you were _there_ and that you helped save my children. My wife is probably blessing you in the Farplane as we speak."

And the father was probably right because, not long afterwards, Luzzu had walked onto the beach to watch as a summoner all the way from Bevelle performed the last of the sendings, dancing magnificently across the noon-colored water, the salt of the sea spraying around him as his ceremonial blue robes flowed about with his graceful movements.

And then a wave of multi-colored pyreflies burst around him in all directions, small cries of freedom emitting from the streams of souls as they flew into the air and soon away from the island to eventually disappear into the horizon for their final destination in the Farplane.

"It's so beautiful…and so sad at the same time."

Luzzu turned around to find Gatta not so far behind him, looking at the spectacle at the sea, watching solemnly as the summoner drifted back down to the waters, walking across the waves until he returned onto the sands of the beach.

"Yes…it is."

Gatta shut his eyes for a moment and turned his head, opening them to look at Luzzu. He made a short smile and walked over to the man, stopping a few feet beside him but still facing the sea.

Luzzu looked at Gatta, the man's brown skin shaded brilliantly in the sunset oranges and yellows.

"…I guess it is good to know that they are going to a better place."

After some time of staring, Luzzu turned away to look out at the sea as well.

"A place far better than this life with Sin. I always feel that my father…my mother… they're all so much better off dead than stuck being alive in this hell of a world like me."

Luzzu instantly turned his head to look at the young man at his side. "What?"

Gatta turned to face Luzzu, his smile replaced with a serious expression. "Don't you think…it's just better off being dead? I mean this life…if that's what you want to call it…is filled with nothing but death. The dead are set free as soon as they are sent but you and me…well, we stay behind, grieving for their passing, stuck in a world with an abomination that knows no sympathy and kills on a mere whim."

Luzzu couldn't believe his ears. A young man of Gatta's age contemplating death?

"Gatta, do you realizing what you are saying?"

Gatta turned away slightly but not enough to totally lose Luzzu's sight.

"You're a young man and you stand here next to me speaking as if death is the only way out? Have you no shame?"

Gatta looked back up at the older man quickly, his face in shock. "But…"

"Listen to me," Luzzu interrupted sternly, forcing Gatta into a quick silence.

"I won't allow you talk about life this way. Yes, this is a hell of a way to live, I agree. And maybe those who have left for the Farplane tonight are amongst the lucky ones who will never have to see Sin again, but what about their families? What about their friends? What about their longing to see and experience the Calm to end all Calms…the Calm that will last forever? Don't you find that in the least bit saddening to know that those people who have died will never experience those joys and that hope again?"

Gatta's gaze, still locked on Luzzu, slowly drifted to the ground, his head held in shame.

"I-I'm sorry, s—Luzzu."

"Don't be sorry. Just…be thankful. Thankful that you can still take in this air and see the things you see and know that you're alive for as long as you _want_ to be. Ultimately, it is we as a people who either maintain hope for life…or submit to despair. So don't go contemplating death too much just because of something like this…you already know. It gets easier."

Gatta nodded and raised his head to face Luzzu once again.

Luzzu smiled, noticing that the passion for life that was lost for just a moment had returned, renewed and stronger than ever. He stepped closer to the younger man and gave him a pat on the shoulder, walking past him as he made his way back to the village.

Gatta smiled, a feeling of warmth inside his heart growing from within as he felt Luzzu's strong hand on his shoulder.

As he listened to the fading footsteps of the older man, he stood and watched as the last of the pyreflies faded into the darkening sky across the horizon.

* * *

…Life. Hope. A horrible joke… 


	4. FOUR

**FOUR**

Luzzu sighed as he pulled off his breastplate, laying it across the floor beside his new, more comfortable cot. Sitting bare-chested in the lodge he could feel the eyes of some of the other Crusaders on his body as they were getting ready for bed.

He was never one to be conceited but he knew they were looking.

His was a physique not to be ignored.

Sighing again, Luzzu laid back, propping his now bare feet on top of the thin bedding as he looked up at the ceiling, his arms behind his head, exposing a light sprinkling of light red hair under his arms. The lantern beside his bed was the only current light source in the entire lodge, lighting up most of his cot and the occupied cot right next to his.

A heavyset man aged around his mid-forties turned on his side away from the light.

Luzzu looked at the small table. On top of it under the lantern was the piece of paper that he left there earlier that day: the letter that had been pinned to his bag.

With a smile of curiosity, Luzzu stretched out his right arm and picked up the letter with his right hand and brought it to his face. Angling the piece of paper in the light to suit him, he began to unfold the letter casually.

When it was finally unfolded, Luzzu cleared his throat and shifted on his cot, deciphering the slopped on words almost as quickly as his own handwriting. He chuckled and began to read quietly to himself:

"**_'Captain,_**

**_If you're reading this then you finally know that we actually do give a damn about you! Me and the rest of us here were all really hoping that you wouldn't leave us but I guess it was time for a change. We wanted to throw you a going away party but because of sissy Ivan and that we know you don't do parties, we dropped that idea. Instead, we simply got you that sphere with all of us in that shot we took just before Djose. You know the one, when ALL of us were around. Anyway, you give them hell there in Besaid! Show those hicks what us Lucans are made of!_**

**_Respectfully,_**

**_Aera and the rest of the 5th Lucan Regiment_**"

* * *

I remember smiling at that letter, thinking of all the good memories that I had experienced over the years. Looking back on that letter, I realize now that that was the last I would ever be able to hear from my old regiment.

Only a week later they, along with three other regiments, would be out scouting the seas, protecting the Lucan shoreline from fiends…

Sin would arrive…

No survivors.

* * *

Gatta grunted loudly as he lifted up a huge barrel and stacked it on top of a pile of barrels, sighing as the weight was soon lifted from his shoulders upon the sound of crashing the barrels made against one another. Sighing heavily, he brought the rag that was across his bare shoulders and wiped his sweaty brow.

It had been one month since he had joined the Crusaders as a cadet and Captain Luzzu already had the young man performing several laborious tasks including loading the ferry with all manner of supplies very nearly by himself to be sent to Kilika.

The coastal village had been devastated recently by a hurricane that narrowly missed Besaid itself, prompting the people to help their island neighbors as much as possible.

"This is a lot of stuff."

Gatta turned around and found Chappu walking across the dock with Lulu still standing amongst the sands.

"Hey, Chappu." Gatta greeted his friend warmly as he stepped off of the ferry then looked up and called, "Hi, Lulu!" waving his arm in the air.

Lulu nodded and lifted a delicate hand in acknowledgment before returning it to her side.

Gatta knew that was the solemn young woman's way of greeting and accepted it as if she had spoken it.

"So, what's new, ya? See you're working pretty hard here."

"Ah, you know. Just loading this ship up for its trip to Kilika. Need to get some food to the people. The hurricane took most of it with it."

"Oh, yeah. Well, it's pretty hot out here. When are you gonna take a break?"

Gatta chuckled. "There's no break for the dedicated Crusader, Chappu. I don't want to wait for too long and rest too much before I'm finished with this job. Luzzu's counting on me."

Chappu instantly chuckled and nudged Gatta in the arm with his elbow. "Luzzu again, bro? Come on! You know you like him. Why don't you just tell him instead of walking around with your tail between your butt, ya?"

Gatta sneered at Chappu, "What are you, crazy? He's my superior officer! And not only that he seems like he wouldn't be up for anything I'd have to offer. I bet if I even mentioned anything _remotely_ funny he would not only expel me from the Crusaders but he'd probably beat me to a pulp too."

"Huh? What makes you say that?"

"Well…I don't know, really. I guess…it's just that his tone, the way he acts, you know?" Gatta sighed and sat down on the dock, wiping his brown, sweaty chest with the rag, "He's just so…rigid. I don't think he would appreciate it if I suggested something like that."

"Who?" a voice called.

Gatta and Chappu turned in the direction of the voice to find Luzzu standing at the railing of the ship, holding a treasure chest in his arms.

Gatta swallowed, fearful that Luzzu may have heard too much.

"Uh…beg your pardon, sir?" Gatta said, quickly standing erect on the dock.

Luzzu placed the chest down and sighed, wiping his hands on the sides of his pants. "Well, you spoke of your interest in another man. So who is this fellow?"

"My brother! Wakka!" Chappu answered suddenly.

Gatta spun around to look at Chappu before slugging him one across the shoulder.

"OW! Hey! I'm not a liar, ya? I had to tell him!"

Gatta sighed incredulously before hanging his head down. "I-I apologize, sir. I probably should have told you sooner. I-I prefer the company of other men, sir."

Luzzu, however, did not bat an eyelash upon hearing Gatta's confession.

"So?"

Gatta looked up at Luzzu for a moment, not entirely sure of what he heard was right. "Sir?"

"I said, 'so?' as in 'why should it matter to me?' Gatta, if you're afraid that I'm going to retaliate against you because of your tastes, then you're sadly mistaken. I have a surprisingly open mind for a Captain of the Crusaders. So get back to work, cadet. And uh…good luck with Wakka."

And just as quickly as he appeared, Luzzu bent down and took the treasure chest in his gleaming arms and walked out of sight, his footsteps across the deck the only indication of his presence.

Gatta was left totally speechless, unable to fully comprehend what had just taken place.

Chappu made his way over to Gatta and snaked a lean arm about his friend's shoulders.

"Hey, bro…if THAT wasn't something that tells you right off how Luzzu feels about man love then I don't know what is, ya?" Chappu said in a low voice, a wide grin on his face.

Gatta nodded in agreement and emitted a slight chuckle.

"Yeah…"

* * *

It was evening once again and the ferry had since taken off, leaving Gatta, the up-and-coming cadet and Luzzu, the rising commander behind. They watched as the ferry disappeared with a couple of the local Crusaders and finally turned to walk back to the path.

Gatta sighed, placing his arms behind his head.

"Long day that was, huh, sir?"

"Yes. Stocking up all of those supplies was very hard work considering the heat and the sheer weight of it all. My back is killing me."

"I know what you mean, sir. I don't think I would've been up to going to Kilika after all of that lifting. And to think, the guys have to get all of the cargo out before daybreak, too."

Luzzu chuckled and shook his head.

"Poor saps." Luzzu sighed and secretly noticed that Gatta was rubbing his arm gingerly. He remembered that the teen had taken a spill earlier, landing right on that very arm. He also remembered how he wanted to rush over to him to see if he was all right…but quickly decided against it, seeing as how the young man and a few others were laughing at his clumsiness.

"Is your arm still bothering you?"

"Just a little bit, sir. I'll be fine."

Luzzu nodded as they approached the beach crossing and stopped just in front of the tides, looking out at the horizon once again.

Gatta had continued walking until he noticed that his commanding officer was no longer at his side. His walking ceased and he turned to find Luzzu sitting in the sands, staring out at the sea.

"…Sir?"

Luzzu motioned for Gatta to join beside him and, after a bit of hesitation, Gatta walked slowly toward the older man, sitting almost a yard away from him.

Luzzu noticed Gatta's distance and chuckled.

"I won't bite, Gatta. You can sit closer if you like. I just want to talk."

"Oh! Yes, sir!" Gatta said quickly but then composed himself a bit and replied more seriously, "I mean…thank you, sir. I just wanted to give you some space."

Luzzu nodded and turned his head back toward the sea but still watched from the corner of his eye as Gatta slid a bit closer to him.

"So…you've taken to Wakka, huh?"

Gatta was totally taken aback by Luzzu's sudden inquiry. Did this man absolutely revel in awkward moments?

"Um…well, actually, sir…"

"No need to explain, cadet. I know perfectly well the whims of the heart."

Gatta inwardly sighed, thinking that a boring lecture from another adult was about to rear its ugly head.

* * *

"We love people…for different reasons. It doesn't necessarily matter who we love, whether they be of different ethnicity, man, or woman. It's the love that really matters in the long run.

"You know that it's love when you can look at that certain person's face, look into their eyes and see their souls. That very passion that ignites their life and keeps it burning for as long as they will it to. It excites you and endears their memory unto you.

"I've only been in love once before in my life and that passion that I saw in their eyes burned strong. But I never thought that I would lose sight of it…not ever."

...I'm sorry, Gatta.

* * *

"Amazing what you can see just by looking in someone's eyes, huh?" Luzzu inquired.

Gatta nodded, still looking at the sea but now with all that Luzzu had said occupying his mind. He had never thought of his commanding officer to be such a romantic. But after hearing the man and his personal experience of love…

Luzzu looked over at Gatta who had half of his head buried about his arms as he looked out at the blazing sunset.

"Do you see that passionate fire in Wakka's eyes when you look at him?"

Gatta lifted his head, looking up at the older man. He had unconsciously slid closer to Luzzu since he had began his explanation of the whims of the heart and was only a few inches away from his commanding officer, his eyes suddenly fixated upon the older man's blue eyes.

"…No."

"Oh…well, maybe it's different with you."

"No, it's not that. I can see passion…I can see…the fire, you know? But…it's not inside Wakka's eyes."

Luzzu did not feel the need to turn away to stare at the sea any longer. His own personal show of beauty sat in front of him, his hand creeping slowly over his.

"Then whose eyes…?"

Gatta drew close to Luzzu, his lips only inches away from the older man's. He looked Luzzu up and down his face with his darting brown eyes before he finally fixated them back up the man's face.

"They're yours."

They kissed. It was closed-mouthed, romantic, and sensual all at once. It was as if the both of them wanted to let go onto each other but at the same time held fast to their own resolves, not wanting to let the other in until they felt the time was right.

They both let go.

As Gatta brought his left hand up to slowly connect with Luzzu's cheek, Luzzu brought his right hand against Gatta's taut brown chest, grazing a darkened nipple slightly with his fingers.

Gatta moaned and opened his mouth promptly after Luzzu, suddenly concentrating in the immediate battle over whose tongue would prove dominant in the passionate kiss as they wrestled for what seemed to Gatta like ages.

To Luzzu, however, it seemed only moments before he was declared the victor and he had Gatta almost completely under his control, placing his hand firmly on the young man's chest as he pushed him down onto the cooling sands and slid his own body on top of his partner's.

They finally broke the kiss and looked into each other's eyes, waiting for each other to say something. But when the words did not come, Luzzu opted to say something of a more physical manner as he ground his hips and thus his throbbing erection into Gatta's own twitching crotch.

Gatta moaned in response and placed a hand on Luzzu's head, tugging at the spiky red hair before forcing the older man's lips to connect once again with his own. As he did so, he let a free hand trail about Luzzu's purple fabric pants to the drawstring, pulling it free from its knot and allowing the older man's exceptional member to be released from its restraints.

Luzzu parted the kiss, much to the chagrin of Gatta who laid on the sands, his chest rising and falling heavily.

"…Are you sure? I-I'm kinda big."

Gatta looked into Luzzu's eyes: burning, passionate, longing. He smirked and tousled about with Luzzu until he was on top of him, straddling the man's hips, their erections pressing against one another's, obstructed only by the thin piece of canvas material that made up Gatta's pants.

"I think I can take it, sir." Gatta whispered with a smile.

* * *

That first time would be the beginning of a number of times Gatta and I would share together. I still don't understand completely how or why we made love right then, right there on that beach that afternoon. It certainly was not the most _discreet_ of spots. We could have been spotted at any moment if some well-intentioned Crusader had happened to stumble upon our love making, when they only originally intended to search for us.

I think that's what made the first time all the more enjoyable for the both of us. The simple fact that we could have been discovered fueled my actions during that afternoon and into the evening, causing me to drive myself harder into Gatta until he literally screamed out my name.

It was a miracle that no one ever heard us!

* * *

Luzzu and Gatta sat beside a rock wall, staring out once again at the now moonlit sea, the waves gently lapping at their bare feet as the two men sat together, hands intertwined with one another's, their naked bodies covered with their own wrinkled clothing.

Luzzu chuckled, his muscular chest heaving slightly with his quiet laughter as he drew Gatta closer to him. Sighing, he slumped further toward the ground.

"That…was amazing." Gatta panted with a smile.

Luzzu smiled, holding the young cadet's hand in his in the air a short while before finally letting their clenched fists drop to the blue sands.

"...yeah," Luzzu finally replied with a deep exhale.

Gatta noticed that Luzzu was not fully engrossed in their light talk as the man was still looking out at sea rather than at him. Though not terribly offended, Gatta became slightly puzzled.

'Was I not good enough? Did I say or do something to upset him?'

"…You're thinking too much again, cadet," Luzzu said suddenly, disrupting Gatta's train of thought.

Gatta realized that he was pondering for more than a mere moment but wondered how in Spira Luzzu knew.

"You don't have to be anxious about anything right now, Gatta," Luzzu continued, looking down upon the younger man, a warm smile spread across his handsome features, "I really did enjoy our moment together…I never thought I would feel anything like this ever again."

Gatta returned the smile and cuddled even closer to Luzzu, his head soon resting against the red-haired man's broad chest.

"I'm glad."

Luzzu looked down at Gatta a moment longer before he placed a gentle hand atop the younger man's head, caressing the long, dark, and silky brown hair between his fingers. And as the waves lapped at his feet, and with Gatta's soft snore lulling him to follow, he slowly drifted off into slumber.


	5. FIVE

**FIVE**

It was close to dawn before I finally had roused from sleep and realized that Gatta and I had fallen asleep there, naked in the hidden cove at the beach.

I was thankful, however, to find that the cargo ship en route to Kilika had yet to return from its destination, giving me ample time to wake Gatta and for the both of us to swim off into a thicket of seaweed where we hurriedly dressed in the water, kissing in between phases of dress, our bodies pressed against one another, floating amidst an ever-increasing light flitered by the distant foliage of the island.

It was just another one of those moments which I had come to cherish in the coming years when my sins against the ones that I had befriended began to emerge, devouring my soul bit…by bit…by bit.

* * *

"Chappu?"

The young man of now twenty-one years turned around from the Crusader lodge doorway to face his friend and respected captain, Luzzu. It had been two years since his arrival and it was more than apparent that his influence was helping the village immensely.

Chappu had truly begun to admire Luzzu and the Crusader's cause.

"What's up, Luz?"

Luzzu walked up to the young man, his arms crossed about his chest.

"Have you…ever considered joining the Crusaders?"

Chappu was taken aback by the twenty-eight year old man's sudden question. But for some reason it made Chappu think deeply.

"Well?" Luzzu continued, a warm smile on his face, "We could really use more recruits and I truly believe you have wonderful potential. I saw you battling off that pack of fiends that day when they invaded the village last month. Not very smart…but you got the job done."

"Well, I…it was nothing, really, ya!" Chappu said, his face turning slight red. He was not one to receive compliments very well.

"Nothing? I witnessed a natural born warrior that day and I've been hoping that that battle would've sparked your interest in the Crusaders but…since you haven't made any attempt to come and talk about it, I decided to ask you directly instead."

"Hey, look, I just came to find Gatta and see how you were doing. I didn't want to talk about becoming a Crusader, ya? I'm a blitzer! Nothing more, ya?"

Luzzu frowned and uncrossed his arms, then placed his right hand slowly but firmly on Chappu's shoulder. His eyes became serious and his smile had faded.

"Have you ever thought of life outside of blitzball, Chappu? Just once, have you ever thought of doing something other than playing the game? Haven't you ever wanted to do something that's actually worthwhile?"

"Hey, wait a minute, there! Blitzball's…"

"When it comes to maintaining the hope of Spira, blitzball is a blessing, yes! But when it comes to _protecting_ the people of Spira and saving our homes from certain destruction, blitzball is, sadly, nothing."

Chappu winced at Luzzu's comment but continued to look directly into the older man's icy blue eyes, unable to move as his piercing gaze fixed him into submission.

"Listen…in this world there are two things that protect our people from Sin: summoners and Crusaders. Summoners use the Final Summoning to call forth that which will destroy Sin and bring about a Calm. Crusaders fight Sin with all their might and draw it and its spawn away from people, thus saving those that would have never survived otherwise.

"But blitzers…in the end, Chappu, blitzers are only prolonging a dream. A _fantasy_ that will ultimately end the moment people step out of that stadium and back out into the _reality_ that is Sin. Why not come away from the dream? Join the reality for good and help with the cause: to defeat Sin once and for all?"

Chappu looked into Luzzu's eyes for a moment longer before he finally pushed the man away and began to walk toward the exit, only to stop short of it. With his back turned to the captain, he lifted his head and sighed, a heavy sigh, filled with anguish over the undeniable truth.

"…You know…I've been telling myself something recently when I look at Lulu. She's my life, ya? I want to go all the way and propose to her after winning the cup, ya? But…I got to thinkin' these days, 'cause of her…maybe even 'cause of me."

Luzzu's face had turned to slight puzzlement as to what the young man was speaking of.

"Well, I've been known to always stick by the sayin' that 'it's good to be with your girl'. Gatta can testify to that…heh! And I think that's true too, ya? But…while being with your girl's good…"

Chappu turned around to reveal a serious expression on his features as he faced Luzzu once again.

"…keeping Sin far away from her is better."

Luzzu smiled slightly and nodded in agreement.

Chappu smiled as well and held out his hand for the older man's.

"Welcome to the Crusaders, Chappu."

The two men shook hands. An unspoken contract of dedication and allegiance…

* * *

…to the death…

Little did I know that I was sentencing him to death.

Little did I know that my personal list of sins had already begun…

…and that I would only pay and pay and pay…


	6. SIX

**SIX**

The rain pelted hard upon the caravan as the group of Crusaders followed behind, lugging their equipment as they trudged doggedly through the mud made thicker by the tormenting storm.

Chappu sighed as he wiped away moisture from his brow, perspiration caused from the trip uphill. He as well as most of the Besaid regiment including Captain Luzzu and Gatta had been traveling for almost two days, heading for the Djose coast where they would patrol the area for three full days, warding off the inevitable wave of Sinspawn that would arrive on the coast, attempting to make their way into the continent.

"The annual Djose Coastal Patrol," Luzzu said as he walked alongside Gatta and Chappu, carrying his own massive load of materials on his back, "For eight hundred years this has been the gathering place for Crusaders and their descendants to fight Sin in campaigns, hoping that we can ward it away from the coast as it attempts to release spawn on land."

"How many of these have you been to?" Chappu asked, yelling slightly over the pounding rain.

"This will be number eight."

More than a few people murmured in amazement at this pronouncement.

"It's routine really," Luzzu continued. "The time that we're there we guard the coast. Sinspawn of many types do approach the coast and we will have to fight them but Sin appears very rarely during these campaigns. Why, I don't think it has approached the coast for several years."

"Oh," Chappu said, "Well that's a good thing."

Luzzu nodded, a wave of rainwater falling from the top of his hood as he did. "You two keep up, alright? I don't want to have to come back for you." And with that statement, Luzzu briskly made his way further toward the head of the pack.

Chappu sighed and said, "I wish you had told me it was going to be like this, Gatta. You let me get into this without any info, ya? This stuff's insane! Lugging all this crap, in the rain, mud all in my boots."

"Hey, stop complaining," Gatta said, although he could sympathize with his friend. Gatta, even with knowledge of the coming campaign, could only guess how difficult it was really going to be. The reality, however, was far worse than what he had imagined during reverie as he performed mindless weapon cleaning and other tedious chores back in Besaid.

"I have a right," replied Chappu testily, "There's just no sense in it. I really can't believe we haven't stopped yet. I mean, wha's a guy gotta do to get a little rest around here? Keel over, ya? Jeez! We've been walking for half a day."

Gatta could only chuckle, albeit grimly. "If you're complaining now just wait until we get there. You're gonna have a fit over all the things they're gonna make you do."

At this comment Chappu sighed, shaking his head. "Great."

Silence fell between the two for a while as they listened to the rain pounding upon their packs, then they began to walk a little more briskly as the rain began to let up, the sun shining light through the partings in the billowing gray clouds.

Gatta smiled and pulled off his hood allowing the remnants of rain to slightly dampen his hair. "About time this stuff let's up," he commented as the two young men made their way further into the troop, their spirits slightly lifted.

Chappu pulled his hood off as well, sighing as he brushed a hand through his short red hair, shaking his head free of any moisture. He spotted Luzzu up ahead, walking in steady strides as the group came along the side of a hill. Chappu noticed that Gatta was looking at the man intently.

"So…how're things with you and the captain," Chappu inquired quietly so as not to alert the attention of any eavesdroppers.

Gatta chuckled lightly, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "None of your business, Chappu," Gatta replied.

"Oh, come on," Chappu protested, "I've seen you two go off in the jungle together at night sometimes back in Besaid, ya? I'm surprised that the entire village doesn't know."

"You were spying on us," Gatta asked incredulously, "You're such a creep!"

"I didn't have to spy, moron," Chappu shot back, "You two can be so loud and so obvious, even when you're trying to keep quiet…if you know what I mean!"

Gatta gasped and looked at Chappu who smiled, shaking his head. "You mean…"

"Yeah, I heard you guys," Chappu said with a grin. "Kind of loud, ya? But I think most people probably mistook you for fiends. Still…"

Gatta sighed heavily. "We don't mean to," he replied sincerely, "We're trying to be as discreet as possible, considering the circumstances."

"What circumstances," Chappu asked as he stepped over a large rock lodged deep inside the mud.

"Think about it. He's a captain and I'm a cadet. Forget that we're two men consummating a relationship generally frowned upon within Yevon. We could both be expelled from the force if word ever got out," Gatta replied anxiously. "Neither of us don't want that but I especially try to be careful for _his_ sake. He can be so carefree sometimes that he tends to forget that we're trying to play it safe."

"Jeez. You must really care about him, ya," Chappu replied.

Gatta chuckled, the light of the sun creeping over his face, accentuating his beautiful shade of brown amidst the stray strands of black hair that stuck to his face with rainwater and sweat. "Yeah. I guess I do," he replied.

"Company halt," a man from one of the other regiments out of Kilika called and the troops instantly ceased their walking. They had all trekked to the top of the hill and were now facing Rin's Travel Agency, the medium sized building that was well known for its beautiful sunsets and its Chocobo corral. The Mi'ihen Highroad could be seen in the distance, a road that led all the way into mountains of dark, grassless terrain. Many of the men knew where the road would lead them.

Luzzu made his way back toward the Besaid troops and called for them all to gather round. "We're going to stay here overnight," he stated, "But be ready to get up and ship out early because we must arrive on Djose shores by late morning. Now…" Luzzu stopped to look over at Chappu who raised his hand and waved in response and then at Gatta who looked back at his lover with a serious yet knowing expression then continued, "Make your way to the Agency. I suggest you all get to bed early so you can get as much rest as possible. Dismissed."

"Sir," the men, women, and children all replied at once and they began to make their way toward the Agency.

Gatta and Chappu also made their way but watched as Luzzu fell back in line until he walked beside Gatta. "I have a separate room with the other commanders…" Luzzu started, "Meet me in there at midnight." And with that he patted his lover lightly across the buttocks, emitting a slight jump from the younger man. Luzzu chuckled and briskly walked ahead.

"Heh heh…Seems like you got a little date tonight, huh?" Chappu asked, smiling widely at his best friend. Their trek downhill had seemingly lifted the young man's spirits higher than ever.

"Shut up, Chappu," Gatta said but the young man allowed for a short smile to take the place of his serious expression.

* * *

As the sun began to set along the horizon, Gatta and Chappu sat at the edge of the cliff that faced the remains of a once massive city: an oddly shaped structure created with blue metal and stone. The sea gleamed gorgeously in the sunlight, its soft, dreamy hue spreading across the young men's faces as they stared out at the ocean.

"So, you never told me exactly why you joined the Crusaders, Chappu," Gatta said suddenly, causing Chappu to be taken from his reverie, "One minute you're thinking about winning the championship and the next you're suiting up and going off with us to Djose. What gives?"

"Well, Gatta," Chappu started, "I just decided that what you said made sense."

"What?" Gatta asked, still staring out at the ocean.

"Remember, man? When Luzzu arrived, that day when you said that there's more to life than just fun and games and all that stuff, ya? It just got me thinkin' you know…?"

"Hmm…" Gatta replied. He closed his eyes for a moment to think back then nodded, remembering the words that he had said.

Chappu turned to his friend, noticing that he had his eyes closed. "What about you? Did you join for the captain?"

"Nah," Gatta said with his eyes still closed, "Well, maybe just a little bit." Gatta chuckled and opened his eyes again, the red of the sun causing his eyes to glimmer with a burning fire.

"I joined for my family. I joined for Besaid. And…I also joined for myself. I have…questions that need to be answered about my past, my future. About my father…I figure if I can join the Crusaders I can find my dad in some way through my experiences. He may be gone but at least I can keep him alive by fighting for a cause that he believed in, too."

Chappu nodded and turned to look back out at the sea. "I got my reasons, too," he replied simply.

Gatta looked over in Chappu's direction slightly to find that the young man was looking into the sunset with a thoughtful expression on his face. Gatta knew that the young man was pondering something and decided to leave the conversation at that, allowing the wind to carrying their words off above the sea as they sat quietly once again, watching as the final drop of the sun disappeared beyond the horizon.

* * *

Gatta sighed heavily, lifting himself off of Luzzu's back as he settled down beside him. Luzzu sighed as well, turning over from his stomach to lie on his side facing Gatta who faced him as well.

The two men were in a room, filled with sleeping commanders, all of which were snoring to some degree within their own partitions. Gatta was at first worried that any one of the seven commanders would catch them in the act but Luzzu assured the younger man that he knew each to be heavy sleepers and that their snoring would be enough to muffle any noise that they made.

Gatta chuckled at the sound of the snoring, placing a hand on Luzzu's sweaty face and rubbing his hands across the older man's chin.

Luzzu responded by smiling and taking Gatta's hand in his and kissing each finger delicately. Both men were drenched with sweat because of their recent activity and the simple fact that the rain had caused the air to grow significantly humid over night. Gatta's hair, which he had freed from the short ponytail, was strewn beautifully about his face, masking most of his features from the moon's light. Luzzu took his hands and spread the hair evenly behind the younger man's ears, taking special care to gently caress Gatta's sweat soaked skin.

"…I love you, Luzzu," Gatta said suddenly, causing Luzzu's action to abruptly stop.

Luzzu's smile slightly faded as he looked at the young man that he was sharing his bed with. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He tried again but to no avail. Finally, the man gave up, sighing as he brought his hands away from Gatta's face.

Gatta looked at Luzzu with confusion, his mind wondering what was the matter with Luzzu all of a sudden. He had said the words…but Luzzu did not reciprocate.

"…Luzzu?" Gatta whispered.

"I think you should go," Luzzu said abruptly, no longer looking at the young man.

Gatta was in shock. He was not expecting Luzzu's sudden change in mood. Maybe it was not such a good idea to make that statement at that time.

He wondered if he could take it back. Then he realized that trying would be futile.

He really _did_ love Luzzu and saying otherwise would only be a lie but…did Luzzu love _him_?

"Gatta…" Luzzu began softly but then stiffly replied with, "…good night," and turned over on his other side away from Gatta's eyes.

Gatta could only stare at his commander for a few moments, trying to piece together what was going on. Finally, he accepted Luzzu's dismissal and got out of the bed.

As the young man put his clothes on, Luzzu could feel the mattress shaking slightly until finally the young man rose from the mattress and he heard the young man's receding footsteps go toward the door. The door opened and shut quietly. Luzzu closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

* * *

That was a night that I can never forget. It was the first time...the _only_ time that he had ever told me that. I…had my reasons for that evening in which I was probably the rudest I had ever been to him. I was afraid of what might happen if I were to say it back. I was afraid of starting something deeper with him, something that might actually survive the test of time, only to lose him later.

I…was afraid of getting too close. Too personal.…I was afraid of what I would experience all over again.

And so…I never had a chance to tell him until that one final time…

* * *

It was morning and the Crusader troops from seven regions of Spira had all amassed at the peak of a cliff that overlooked a majority of the shores of Djose as well as the sea which stretched out into an overcast sky, gloomy and foreboding. Gatta stood at the edge of this cliff, looking outward at this vast sight, his heart racing as he continued to think of the coming events.

He had been awoken by, oddly enough, Luzzu who was still dressing himself, shifting his armor onto his torso. The red-haired man along with several others including Chappu were already roused and out of bed, albeit still groggy from sleep. Gatta remembered the way Luzzu looked at him. It was an expression that exuded concern yet it was general in its scale. He did not smile. Did not give him any type of indication of the past night's events. He simply nodded and walked away after waking him.

And as the troops marched their way toward the mountains, Luzzu made no attempt to speak to him. He only looked back every once in a while to check on everyone then turned and proceeded on his way.

Gatta was left wondering what had gone wrong. Was it the three words that he had said to Luzzu that had caused the sudden and inexplicable disruption in their relationship? The young man tried not to dwell on it. On the battlefield the importance of conflicts in relationships significantly dwindled when compared to keeping oneself alive. Gatta knew this yet still he still pondered about the night before.

"Gatta!" a voice called from the distance. Gatta turned to find a young boy in his early teens running toward him, his tanned face noticeably showing signs of exertion as he came to a halt in front of Gatta. Panting slightly he spoke again, "I've been looking all over for you! Sir Luzzu has called a meeting at the campsite. We've gotta be there now."

Gatta nodded and watched as the boy ran off from where he came from, his boots kicking up gaps of sand in his wake. Gatta made a short sigh and began to walk briskly toward the campsite.

As he approached the site, he noticed that his regiment was already gathered around a campfire, with Luzzu talking, his hands on his knees as he crouched low to the ground, drawing something on the ground with his hands. Soon his voice became audible.

"…and that's when I'll need you guys to move in with the rest. The Al Bhed are pretty confident in their new cannons but I would think that they'll need plenty of back up when the time comes, regardless of what they may say."

The rest of the group agreed, nodding their heads and mumbling to each other.

"Now, if all goes according to plan, we can drive most Sinscales and lesser Sinspawn away from the coast, which is the ultimate goal here. No playing hero here, people. I don't want anybody to lose their life because they decided to disobey orders and go out on their own. Spread out, fire when you get a shot, and group ONLY when you know that Sinspawn will have a hard time retaliating. When they begin an assault, RUN, don't look back and take cover behind anything that's grounded, like a rock or something. Stay away from cliffs because we all know what occurred last year with Kilika's forces.

"If in the likely event greater Sinspawn _do_ emerge, be on your guard. _Don't_ try to engage it alone. Call for help and try and overcome it as quickly as possible. Sin always comes back for its spawn…always.

The troops were silent with that comment.

"Now," Luzzu began again, "I know some of you are a bit apprehensive of the machina weapons that we are using. Because of our choice to use them, the Crusaders have recently been excommunicated from Yevon, which explains why we have no backup support from the warrior monks as in previous years."

The tension by this statement was felt moreso than heard.

"But these weapons are what may help us overcome Sin more quickly than any other year as well," Luzzu went on with conviction. "These weapons may help reduce casualties. These weapons, sacrilegious though they may be, may even one day help defeat Sin for good. That may be wishful thinking on my part but if any one of those possibilities occur today, here on these shores, well…I think it is well worth being excommunicated."

Many of the soldiers seemed to mumble agreement with Luzzu with few exceptions.

"Now, I suggest you all get ready. Reports tell us that Sin could be here at any moment," Luzzu stated, "Dismissed." With that final word, the troops broke away from the circle and toward where more people were preparing for battle.

Luzzu stood erect from the ground and brushed his hands off on his pants. As he looked up he noticed Gatta still standing at a distance, staring at him at first then directing his eyes into the flames of the fire before finally turning and following the rest of his comrades.

Luzzu faced the fire while secretly following Gatta with his eyes. He wanted to say something to him but soon decided that it was not the right time. So, as he stood at the fire, he began to think deeply, his eyes closed, until he found himself praying. Praying for the safety of all of the soldiers. Praying for his men. Praying for the safety…of Gatta.

* * *

**_"SIN!!!"_**

It was a cry that echoed across the entirety of the occupied coast of Djose and then some.

As the nearly 100 soldiers heard the cry they turned toward the horizon of the ocean and saw the telltale sign of Sin making its way toward the coast.

The massive fin of the beast jutted from the water, the froth of the water jettisoned many feet into the air as the ocean surrounding the fin seemed to grow darker with approach.

_"BATTLESTATIONS, EVERYONE!!"_ a Lucan regiment commander bellowed as he readied the machina weapon in his hands, an especially pointed bayonet strapped haphazardly to the device. Gatta watched as the heavy set commander ran toward his regime, giving them orders as they scrambled for their own weapons.

Gatta looked at Chappu with determined eyes. His friend attempted a look of strength but Gatta was certain that his friend was scared stiff. If he was then he knew his blitzer friend was too. Still, Gatta gripped his machina weapon tightly, even as the commotion of the people of surrounding regiments grew more fervent. Yet with a surprisingly steady voice he said, "It's going to be all right, Chappu! We're gonna make that bastard and its freak kids wish they never set foot on these shores!"

Chappu, not for the first time in his life, saw the fire burning in his best friend's eyes and after an intake of air and a hard swallow, he nodded and gripped his machina weapon as well, standing up with his companion as they ran toward one of the points designated as prime spots for attacking incoming waves.

And then the first wave came.

Sinscales storming the shores, shrieking as they made their way along the sands, some spreading out and away from the gatherings of soldiers dotted along the coastline toward the road, but most heading straight for their adversaries, a collection of tentacles and pointed talons stabbing into the ground, readying their inevitable encounter with the humans.

And so the battle began.

People began to bellow as they fired deafening shots from the machina weapons. The first apparently rung out from one of the Kilika groups covered behind a group of rocks on Chappu's left, the scattered shot that blazed across the mist-filled air as it took down a Sinscale and injured another. The rest of the regime followed suit with minimal hesitation, firing their respective weapons upon the advancing group of black and blue fiends, the fiends falling to the ground in surprisingly growing numbers, never to move again.

Chappu looked over to his right and realized that other regimes were doing the same, firing their weapons, even moving from cover slightly to get better shots at the Sinscales, holding the monsters at bay. Suddenly, a startling blast rattled Chappu's attentive gaze at his ally's valiant efforts and he realized that his own group was firing their weapons as well, Gatta clearly among them. Gatta turned around for a split second and looked at Chappu and yelled, "What are you _doing_, Chappu!? Get up and started shooting!"

Suddenly everything clicked with Chappu and he immediately stood up as Gatta turned to deliver another blast toward the shore, raising his machina weapon above his shoulders and turning to point it over the rugged wall of rock that he his back once rested upon. The sight before his eyes was horrible and magnificent all at once: the ocean, once blue and clear was now an impenetrable black. It rippled and motioned unnaturally, as if the black were somehow independent of the waves above. He soon realized that the black _was _alive, that the black was emerging gradually from the ocean, and that the black, emerging from the waves, was what was being decimated by his comrades.

And he fired once. Twice. Three times.

The recoil was not as severe as it once was and he was surprised that he still stood to witness two Sinscales fall upon the sands in the distance, their bloodied entrails spilling upon the white sands of the beach.

"Good shot, Chappu!!" one of the Besaid soldiers, a father of one of Chappu and Gatta's younger friends cried and he stood up to take another shot. "We need to get out from behind this rock! The scales are getting closer!"

Chappu did not realize what the man was saying was the truth as he continually shot at anything that moved, never realizing that the Sinscales were only growing in number. They brought with them a lesser Sinspawn that emerged from the black waters with a more threatening roar that pierced Chappu's ears yet somehow never diverted his attention from firing his weapon.

"Let's GO, Chappu!" Gatta yelled as he pulled at his friend's arm.

"Yeah!!" Chappu cried excitedly as he took down another four Sinscales, watching as their bodies blew apart into bloody clouds upon taking direct hits from his weapon. He realized a hand was tugging at him and turned to realize that Gatta was motioning for him to follow and so he did, somewhat reluctantly, following his friend and the rest of the group as they ran to a further point on the shore.

As they did so, even louder blasts rumbled from above and Chappu turned just in time to see a flurry of shots firing down upon the advancing Sinscales and spawn right where he and his allies were positioned just moments earlier. Chappu watched in amazement as the majority of the advancing fiends dropped into heaps upon the sands, their bodies noticeably riddled with weapons fire.

Chappu looked to the heavens and noticed a small group of the accompanying Al Bhed had used their more advanced machina weapons to fire upon the Sinscales and spawn. Chappu felt the need to cheer and did so, raising his fist in victory for the goggled individuals that had blasted those monsters into the next life.

"It's not over yet, boy!!" the Besaid father bellowed and he pointed just as Chappu looked at him again. Chappu followed the point and realized that another Sinspawn, about the same size as the one that had emerged with the now obliterated Sinscales, was being engaged by a small group of Crusaders that looked in need of assistance.

"They need our help!" another Besaid Crusader, a female this time, yelled and she and the rest of the group made their way toward their allies…

…only to watch in horror as one of the warriors engaging the Sinspawn was struck down by the monster, the sharpened, scythe-like pincers of the spawn cutting into his torso and emitting a generous amount of blood upon his person. They could not hear the man's scream over the firing of weapons and the screeching of Sinscales and the heaving breaths and gasps of their running forms as they closed in on the Sinspawn's position.

But Chappu knew that the man was screaming for his life, possibly even for mercy from a demon that knew none as his comrades tried futilely to fight for his release, shooting around him at the Sinspawn as the man's movements gradually fell in line with the monster waving him about.

Chappu's breath was faltering. His panic, his fear was rising.

One of the men behind Chappu roared with anger and, running ahead of the group, began firing upon the surrounding Sinscales that were attempting to interfere with the others battling the spawn. The now lifeless man was released from the Sinspawn's death grip, his nearly severed body falling gruesomely to the ground.

Chappu took a shot at the Sinspawn and managed to chip a small portion of the carapace, causing the insect-like monstrosity to emit a sharp screech and turn toward its assailant. The Sinspawn made to approach the newly arrived group but the group did not allow it to get far, concentrating fire upon the head of the fiend and especially between the pincers that had extinguished the life of one of their own. As blood gushed from the spawn's now injured mouth, it began to snap viciously toward its attackers with frightening precision, narrowly missing the torso of another male Crusader attacking it but awarding a serious looking gash across the chest of a young female soldier.

In a hail of blasts from machina weapons and more than a little rage on their side, the Sinspawn fell, Chappu among the few to take parting shots that effectively drove the creature to the ground, bloodied, unmoving and never to rise again.

Chappu panted as he grasped his weapon tightly, holding it and the bayonet dangerously close to his torso. "Are you all right, Gatta!?" Chappu yelled over the distant gunfire and screeching of fiends to his longtime friend.

Gatta turned to address Chappu, a more uplifting response in his expression but his eyes instantly reflected a change in tone as his mouth gaped open slightly.

"**ANOTHER!!!**" Gatta bellowed and he pointed toward the ocean, prompting Chappu to turn around.

It was another Sinspawn. However, unlike the two that Chappu had witnessed emerging from the ocean, this one looked far more formidable, capable of devastating even the largest of groups. And just as Chappu thought about how formidable the Sinspawn looked he was instantly introduced to just how powerful the fiend was as it was served a blast from another one of the Al Bhed's powerful machina weapons…and moved along with nothing more than a flinch. While its carapace appeared a bit worse for wear, it was still moving with murderous intent, the gaggle of Sinscales that emerged with it now reduced to less than half due to the power of the Al Bhed weapon blast.

"We've gotta do something about that thing!!" the Besaid father yelled to the rest of group. "I don't know what we can do but we've gotta get that thing to stay right where it is until those Al Bhed can get another shot off!!"

"What can _we_ do!?" one of the survivors of the group the Sinspawn that was just cut down yelled. "That thing is _huge_! We can't hope to take on that thing head on!!"

"We don't have to fight it for long!!" the Besaid father yelled back. "Just long enough for the Al Bhed to load up their guns so they can weaken it more!! Then we pick it off!!"

The general consensus was shaky but in no time the group had gathered the courage to cut the formidable Sinspawn off, keeping it within reasonable firing range for the Al Bhed. The group took cover behind a rock, taking care to choose their shots carefully as the spawn revealed a new weapon: acidic projectile saliva that was launched liberally wherever it spotted movement.

One of the group members that they had come to their aid was caught by the acid spit on the arm and made an excruciating scream as he dropped his weapon, taking refuge behind the rock once again as he watched the flesh upon his arm dissolve into a terrible, liquid crimson.

"By Yevon!! What the hell is that thing shooting!?"

Another from the group attempted to care for him but the man was inconsolable, screaming in agony as his injured arm shivered incessantly. Finally, they realized that the man was going into shock as he began to convulse. The saliva was not only corrosive but poisonous as well.

"It's not slowing down!! This thing is getting too close!! Where the hell are those Al Bhed!?"

Chappu watched as the man slowly slipped into unconsciousness, his convulsions becoming mere shudders as one of the men supported his head between their rough and dirty hands. Chappu shivered slightly and made a gasp at the moment the man seemed to draw breath no more, grew limp, his mangled right arm still grasped to his chest.

"...by yevon…" Chappu whispered, "…he's dead…he's dead too."

"Chappu!!"

Chappu's breath was growing ragged as he looked at the man's half open eyes staring blankly at the overcast sky of the day. He shuddered as he looked at this man. This man who probably had a girl back at home like him, waiting on him to return safely, but because of what just happened, would never get that chance again.

And Chappu grunted and stood, fired his weapon blindly as he began to run toward the Sinspawn, firing his weapon and running, hoping he could avoid being hit by the saliva.

"Chappu!! What are you **DOING**!?"

I'm leading it away. I'm leading it away from you guys. I don't want to watch anyone else die in front of me ever again.

"Chappu! Get back here **_NOW_**!"

I'm not going to let anyone else die. I can't.

"**_CHAPPU_**!!!"

Chappu turned just in time to see that the Sinspawn had gained ground on him. Just as the spawn reared its head to launch forth more saliva, Chappu bellowed and fired shots at the fiend's head, causing it to screech and swallow some of its own corrosive spit. It screeched with what sounded like anguish and although far from being dead, was now writhing around angrily as it attempted to vomit the very substance it sought to kill with.

Chappu continued to fire upon the Sinspawn, managing to penetrate its carapace further and spill crimson blood down its sides. The spawn screeched further and launched forth toward Chappu, barely missing the opportunity to skewer the man with its pincer. It crashed upon the sands and writhed upon the sands for a more erect position once again as Chappu scurried from the ground to his feet.

He ran behind a buildup of rock and watched his allies from the distance as they occupied themselves with an encroachment of Sinscales. He noticed Gatta looking back every so often, taking a shot, and then looking back once again. Chappu then heard the screech of the Sinspawn and realized that it was back in action once again.

Suddenly he heard the thick accent of an Al Bhed overhead calling out to him.

"Boy! **BOY**!! Move **NOW**!!! We're gonna fire this thing again!!"

Chappu did not need to be told twice and made to get up but was greeted with the looming figure of the Sinspawn none too distant from his position.

"Damn!" Chappu cursed as he gripped the machina weapon in his hands. He held it so securely that the metal imprinted itself against his chest.

The Sinspawn screeched again and Chappu made note of the fact that the spawn was nearing closer to him. He couldn't make it back to his allies and they couldn't provide support either.

He was on his own. He had to rely on himself.

So with a deep intake of breath, Chappu ran. Ran not toward his allies but toward the distant road that would eventually lead to the Djose temple miles away. He ran and hoped that the Sinspawn would be keen to follow so that the Al Bhed could get a clear shot. He ran like he had never run before, turning and firing blindly at the Sinspawn that made a slow but steady progression after him.

"**JUST A BIT MORE**!!" Chappu heard the cry of the accented Al Bhed.

I'm going to do it! They're going to do it! We're going to kill this bastard! It'll all be over in…

The deafening blast of the Al Bhed weapon coincided with a sudden and excruciating pain Chappu felt on his backside that seemed to spread from the very top of his head to the very tip of his toes.

It was a pain that spread and weighed him down and he slowed to a near stop, a scream that never made it past a whimper escaped his lips as he staggered to the ground. As he fell to his knees, he thought the sound of rumbling was his own landing but as he heard the anguished, gurgled screech from behind he realized that it was none other than the pursuing Sinspawn.

He felt heavy, too heavy to function, but gathered enough strength to turn slightly and watch the Sinspawn writhe upon the ground, its carapace having been completely blasted off and then some, the soft tissue underneath exposed and clearly ravaged by the weapon, gushing crimson essence upon the white sands of the beach.

With this sight he smiled and slowly taking the machina weapon by the hilt, dug the muzzle of the weapon into the sand and leaned against it for support. He chuckled lightly as he heard the yells of his allies as they fired shots at the screeching creature, eventually silencing the beast once and for all.

He thought it was a shame that he did not witness them draining the last bit of life from the Sinspawn but he was suddenly tired. He was so tired that he could not even open his eyes when Gatta, sounding unusually emotional, began crying, screaming his name.

I'll…be back later, Gatta. I just need to take a nap. I'm just glad the rest of you are…all right…


End file.
